'Islamist' PM Erdogan visit brings Turkey's divisions to streets of Cologne.(Yahoo).
A visit by Tayyip Erdogan to Cologne on Saturday to address thousands of expatriate Turks threatens to bring Turkey's political tensions to German streets, despite an appeal by Chancellor Angela Merkel for him to adopt a sensitive tone.
Some German lawmakers are concerned by what they see as Erdogan's inflammatory language and authoritarian behavior in dealing with demonstrations and in handling a corruption scandal that touched on former ministers. His expected candidacy in August presidential elections could further raise passions.
Erdogan typically addresses a mass audience of expatriate Turks when visiting Germany. They are rousing patriotic affairs with thousands waving the Turkish flag. In 2008 he caused uproar by warning Germany's largest minority against assimilation.
At least 16,000 supporters are expected at the 10th anniversary of the Union of European Turkish Democrats (UETD).
The event also falls a year after anti-government protests swept the country, fired largely by a violent police crackdown on a small demonstration against development of a city park. Erdogan has denounced protesters variously as vandals, terrorists and anarchists.
As many as 30,000 anti-Erdogan protesters are due to gather nearby on Saturday, as well as a German far-right party, leading Yeni Safak, a pro-Erdogan paper in Turkey to warn on its front page on Friday of a "trap". Berlin, it suggested, wanted to hold Erdogan responsible for stirring trouble.
Critics in Germany say it is insensitive to give such a speech 11 days after Turkey suffered its worst ever mining accident, in which 301 miners died.
They also oppose giving Erdogan a platform when there is deep doubt in Europe about the direction Ankara is taking - two months before he is expected to stand for a presidency he aspires to turn from a largely figurehead role to that of a strong executive head of state.
The two leaders spoke by telephone on Thursday, Merkel's office said, with Erdogan, by far the most popular politician in Turkey, outlining plans for his visit.
"You can hope that Erdogan will be sensitive but you cannot expect it," said Gokay Sofuoglu, co-leader of the Turkish Community in Germany organization, noting that people were very divided about the visit. "He will use the event to win votes."
"Anybody who knows him also knows that whether it be loss of life, or corruption allegations, he always manages to twist events to boost his own support," he said.
Last month, when German President Joachim Gauck criticized Erdogan's leadership style and curbs on civil liberties, the Turkish premier responded: "Keep your advice to yourself."
Organisers of the event, the Union of European Turkish Democrats, insisted Thursday that Erdogan -- who in February addressed supporters in Berlin a month before Turkish municipal elections -- would not hold an election rally.
"Mr Erdogan will not hold an electoral campaign here," UETD chairman Suleyman Celik told reporters.
But the head of the German police union voiced concern that the event at Cologne's Lanxess arena, which has an 18,000-strong seating capacity, could provoke tension within the country's Turkish community.
Euro MP Elmar Brok, from Merkel's Christian Democratic Union, said Thursday that if Saturday's event helped polarise, it would be better if the Turkish prime minister dropped his plans.
"Cologne cannot become the venue for conflict between tens of thousands of Turks," he told Thursday's Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung.Hmmmm.....You can be sure he will inflame every Islamist spark in Germany, he doesn't care he wants a new Ottoman Empire.
No comments:
Post a Comment